Survival Unit III Joe McPhee: alto saxophone & pocket trumpet Fred Lonberg-Holm: cello & electronics Michael Zerang: drums Game Theory Recorded live @ Instants Chavires, Paris on 10/26/2010 On Not Two records Thoroughly challenging and astounding if one’s ears and mind can adapt to the unusual sound of the trio which is mostly due to Lonberg-Holm’s mysterious altered and uber extended techniques. He’s one of the great unknown visionaries of improvised music. As usual McPhee is pure genius. He’s been the greatest 70+ year old saxophonist ever since he turned 70 in December 2009. The recent batch of recordings I’ve been listening to are so amazing on all kinds of levels and he plays all of his horns in various combination. Almost always pocket trumpet and then usually 1 saxophone - either alto, tenor or soprano sax - and on one recent recording he plays valve trombone. He is thoroughly himself on all of his horns. Plus he knows how to listen like no one else. But I do note that Six Situations with Damon Smith on bass and Alvin Fielder on drums has Joe playing only the tenor saxophone and that is some treat.
I am reading yet another book about The Band which means that it is about Dylan too. The beginning sets up the premise for both entities, and the very roots both, of their early inspirations and journeys. Author Craig Harris goes all the way back to the early 1900's, and the folk, the blues, the early protests, some of the unjust murders that spawned stories and songs. It has always been quite a history, and reads in this book and others like the old testament of americana. Dylan has carried that tradition through to this very day in playing, and releasing his older music and the very new. His box sets are a treasure like no other, the grooves creaking and cracking with history and hues of dusty timelessness. Hopefully, I will get the latest and quite soon; I did recently acquire the Mobile Fidelity of Blood on the Tracks, so that will have to do for now. I listen to Bootleg Volume 8 a fair amount, and that set alone always leaves me amazed, the music of a master being brought to us from his truly. Same for his trilogy of sorts, Time Out of Mind through Modern Times, a record so stunning that it brought me to a newer realization of an already older one. The guy is an icon of all things remarkable in the modern history of American music, and a man that stands entirely within himself as an artist.
Extremely well put. The whole Bootleg Series has been a revelation from the getgo. I love that late trilogy but especially Time Out of Mind, one of my favorite Dylan albums in part because of all the old folk and blues lines woven masterfully into it and put to new purposes. I went a little crazy and bought both the vinyl and SACD of the MoFi Blood on the Tracks when it came out and have been loving both. Really looking forward to the new Bootleg Series when I have the time to sink my teeth into it.
I listened to it today first thing in the morning, without having read your post. One of Bob's best albums, which means a lot.
Man, David Allan Coe is a fantastic singer. He sings in different styles. There's a lot of variation going on. But I have to say that I like him best when he sings like Merle Haggard. I just love that. Of course, Merle was one the best ever voices in country.
It was just curiosity, because both mixes are great. And the 5.1 mix is astounding. Possibly my favorite Crimson album.
A trip to the mart, a work-out at the gym to Coltrane Live in Seattle, very nearly meeting my end while finishing up on the bike to nowhere; 'long lines today' were a work-out of sorts too, but I was glad to see 'em. So now I get to chase, slowly, a Northern Harvest Manhatten while fully enjoying the narcissistic nether of a fine tune up at home dancing Tropical Hot Dog Nights, watching two flamingos in a fruit fight, lol... courtesy of the one and only Captain, of course.
That's one of my favorite albums, right there. The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark in case anyone can't see the picture.